“The Phone Booklet”: Marjon Hoffman and Odido release free children's book to encourage more reading

The reading time of children in primary school drastically decreases as they get older, according to research*. At the same time, screen time increases. To primarily encourage students to read more books and put their phones down more often, Odido introduces 'The Phone Booklet'. The story comes from the successful children's book author Marjon Hoffman, known for the popular series 'The Rules of Floor'. 'The Phone Booklet' will be offered for free to primary schools in the Netherlands starting today, supported by CPNB (Collective Promotion of Dutch Literature Foundation).

Book in the form of a phone and WhatsApp conversations 
Especially for primary school students from grade 6 to 8, Odido has developed the first reading book in the form of a phone. Children are getting smartphones at increasingly younger ages, and these devices are indispensable long before high school. According to the Media Use Monitor, three-quarters of Dutch children between the ages of seven and twelve use a smartphone. One of the downsides of the smartphone's popularity is that screen usage increases as children get older. As screen time increases, reading proficiency and reading time decrease. At the age of seven, 68% of children read a book almost daily outside of school hours. By the end of primary school, this has decreased by half (to 35%)*.

With 'The Phone Booklet,' Odido aims to encourage primary school students to occasionally put their smartphones aside and swap them for a book. The story by successful children's book author Marjon Hoffman focuses on a group of friends in high school and follows their WhatsApp conversations. Today, Marjon Hoffman handed over the first copies of her new book to grade 7 at Tweemaster Holleblok primary school in Huizen. Each slot in the class's phone pouch contained a copy of the booklet, making it easy for the children to exchange their smartphones for 'The Phone Booklet.'

Marjon Hoffman: "I wrote the story for 'The Phone Booklet' in the same way I always write for my target audience: realistic but peppered with humor because it's a way to get children to read. By casting the text in the form of messages and giving the booklet the feel of a smartphone, I hope children will enjoy reading it so much that they'll set aside their real smartphone for a while."

Synopsis 
In 'The Phone Booklet,' we follow the comical adventure of Sam, who gets into trouble because of his annoying little sister. Through app conversations, we read how the problems escalate. We also get to know Sam's friends: Yous, who never comes up with a good solution, Thijs, who always comes up with a solution but is never online, and Donny, who immediately puts everything he finds on the street in his mouth to taste if it's really edible. Sam doesn't have much use for that. Fortunately, he also has a crush, Jamilla. Can she help him?

'The Phone Booklet' can be requested for free by primary schools in the Netherlands via the website odido.nl/hettelefoonboekje.

'Sometimes just not' 
Smartphones and internet access have endless benefits, but the technology also has its downsides. Odido has long been taking responsibility for using phones more consciously, such as introducing Screen-Free Friday in collaboration with NOC*NSF. On this day, students are challenged under the motto 'sometimes just not' to leave their screens alone for two hours and engage in sports. In addition, Odido also collaborates with the creators of the Feelee app: GreenBerry and Garage2020. With the Feelee app, young people gain insight into their own emotions to become mentally stronger.

Tisha van Lammeren, Chief Commercial Officer at Odido: "We are big fans of technology at Odido and its unprecedented possibilities. It shouldn't be the case that the use of technology comes at the expense of important skills that foster social connection and have a significant impact on our lives. To ensure that even the youngest generations grow up with imagination, stories, and the world of books, our company is committed to maintaining children's reading skills. We are proud that this initiative is supported by CPNB."

Odido and CPNB 
The first reading book in the form of a smartphone is supported by CPNB, known among other things as the organizer of the Children's Book Week. This foundation believes that reading enriches and connects people's lives with books. Therefore, it embraces the introduction of 'The Phone Booklet' to promote reading in primary schools. In addition to this initiative, Odido will support CPNB's library campaign 'Heel Nederland Leest' later this year.

Eveline Aendekerk, director of CPNB, is pleased with the collaboration: "Reading proficiency at a young age can make an enormous difference. One of the main barriers to reading is distraction by other things, especially smartphones. We therefore welcome Odido's call to put the phone down and read. 'The Phone Booklet' will certainly help with that. We are pleased that Odido reinforces its call by supporting CPNB's library campaign 'Heel Nederland Leest'."

Sources: Monitor de Bibliotheek op school primary education, 2020; Monitor de Bibliotheek op school secondary education, 2020. PISA-2018 (Reading time decreases with age - Stichting Lezen) Gubbels, Van Langen, Maassen, & Meelissen, 2019. Monitor Mediagebruik Nederlands Jeugdinstituut.